The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-01
The Ney Sea Terror.

L
Lieutenant Zlinski's dynamite
cruiser, that is beiig built by William
Cranp G. Sons at'their Richmond
shipyard, will be launched probably
during March next. Four weeks ago
its keel was laid, and now it looks
like the skeleton ofsome marine
monster held up by s,affolding, on
which men are perched who make
the yard resound with the heavy
blows of their hammers as the steel
bones are put in place.
The cruiser is very mucl like tor
pedo boat, with the exception of its
gun and gun-firing arrangements. 1t
will carry 10000 pounds ofexplosive
gelatine, which is equal to 2S,2OO
pounds of dynamite. This will al
low it to fire about 100 times without
seeking more ammunition, each
charge consisting of 200 pounds of the
gelaitne in a sixty-pound projectiIe.
While Zainski was studying the
plans of the boat the other day up at
Cramps and speaking of the terrible
destruction that he expects to accom-
plish when the United States has its
next war, some one asked him if he
didn't think that it would take brave
men to travel about in company with
ten tons or so IF explosive gelatine,
The opinion was hazarded that
cannon ball striking the cruisers side
might detonate its cargo and termi-
nate It's existence and that of its
crew.
"Pooh." replied the gallant Lieu
tenant, "there won't be much danger
OF that. The stuff must be properly
handled, of course. Look here" and
the legalized dynamiter put his hand
in his pocket and pulled out about
half a pound of the gelatine, which
he carries around with him, There
was panic,
The cruiser is not yet named. She
is now known as Hull 256. She will
be of about $50 tons displacement,
her length will be 2l6 feet. Her $500
horsepower triple expansion engines
are expected to drive her twin screws
at rate sufficiently fast to give her
speed of twenty knots an hour. That
is the rapidity demanded by the
specifications and every effort will be
made to fulfill it. She will carry
three IL inch bore pneumatic dyna-
mite guns. These are each 81 feet
long. The breeches are near the bot
tom of the boat, close to the centre,
and the barrels run obliquely to the
deck. above which they project. The
mouths point upward, the plan of
firing being similar to that of NOR
tars.
From the plans sent at Cramps the
boat will have business-liKe air and
an appearance not altogether inartis-
tic. She will be built sharp almost
as a Ratchet. Like a monitor she
will carry no sails or masts. Every
thing about her except the wooden
covering to the armored deck and the
cabin fixtures. will be of steel. In
the very heart of the boat, under
meath the coming tower-which wi
also be of solid metal-will be stored
the explosive gelatine. 1t will be in
a position handy to the gunners, but
far away from the quarters of either
officers or crew. Near it and handy
to the breech of the guns will be the
chamber of compressed air, the pro-
jecting power of the gun. The stern
Is taken up by the officers quarters.
Between them and the magazine and
gun-room will be the machinery.
The crews quarters are forward. The
entire cost of the vessel will be $780,
900.
The efficiency of the Zalinski gun
was shown a few days ago at Fort
Lafayette. An old and condemned
coast survey schooner, the Silliman,
fought four rounds with the gun, at a